Posts Tagged ‘nick haque koi’

Koi Las Vegas, which can be found above the Planet Hollywood Casino, is raising money for a cause. CEO Nick Haque wanted to get involved and help out those in Africa who are suffering from famine due to the recent drought. Two dishes were introduced to the Koi menu to raise money for the cause. The two dishes are the the Edamame Dumplings and the Just a Little Shot. Fifty percent of the money from these two dishes will go towards the cause. The Donations will be given to the U.N. World Food Program through the “Just a Little” foundation. When asked in an interview which dish is his favorite, Nick Haque responded, “Koi Crispy Rice topped with Spicy Tuna is one of my all-time favorites, but right now I love the Edamame Dumplings. Not only are they delicate and rich, but each bite sends support to East Africa.” Koi has been successful in the past in the efforts to raise money for those suffering from disasters. Recently, Koi raised over $22,000 to help the victims of the earthquake in Japan.

Spotting a celebrity at Nick Haque Koi is just a regular day at the Los Angeles restaurant Koi. That is why if you have friends visiting from out of town this is a good restaurant to take them to. It is an extremely fun dining experience and let’s face it, many visitors to Los Angeles hope to see a celebrity on their trip. Not only might you see a celebrity if you are dining at Nick Haque’s Koi, but you will also feel like one. This is because the service at Koi is top of the line as is the food. The chefs expertly prepare Japanese fusion food. There are even options for those on diets. One example of a recent celebrity siting at Koi was mentioned in Life & Style Magazine. One June 11, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw were spotted at the restaurant with their three daughters. You just never know who may be dining next to you when you visit Koi!

There are many inspirations that go into the food and beverages at Nick Haque Koi. The restaurant is a Japanese fusion restaurant which uses a variety of fresh ingredients. This restaurant has several locations and is very popular in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York and Bangkok. Koi is on the cutting edge of the latest trends in food culture. That is why they have started using flowers in some of their beverage. One Koi bartender, Ben Waclaw, to the New York post that flowers get peoples attention. Flowers add a unique and special touch to beverages. There are a variety of flowers that can be used in drinks but remember, not all flowers are edible. Some flowers are poisonous so be careful to research on the right flowers before you try this at home. For some examples of the popular flowers used in beverages try the following–violet, lavender, elderflower, and hibiscus. These flowers are sure to add a refreshing touch and lovely scent to your beverages.

Carolina Kreckler from Nick Haque Koi was recently named hostess of the week! It is no surprise that a Koi hostess would win this honor. Koi has excellent service and a great staff. Carolina Krecker, who is originally from Argentina loves sushi, and since she wanted to get into the restaurant industry she found a hostess job at Koi. Miss Kreckler seems to have a great sense of humor as she jokes with Esquire about her accent, nicknames, and of course LA stereotypes. There are many Los Angeles stereotypes and Carolina has seen many of them walk through the doors of Koi. Carolina has a great attitude and explains, “If I’m frustrated, I usually go to the bathroom, breathe a couple times, and come out with a smile. My goal is to smile. I have a very big smile. I kill people with my smile. How can you be mad at me!You know? I’m joking. But I do make people feel comfortable. It’s something I learned from my mother.”

Here is the recipe from a recent “Today” Food appearance of the executive chef of the New York Koi. Learn how to make delicious skewers Nick Haque Koi New York style:

Recipe: Tuna skewers Nick McCoy

You will need: 6-inch bamboo skewers, which you should soak while fish is marinating.

Ingredients

1 pound tuna, cleaned, cut in strips (see note)

For marinade:

Zest of 1 lime, plus one tablespoon of juice

Zest of 1 orange, plus one tablespoon of juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minged ginger

2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon cilantro

For sweet soy sauce

1 part soy sauce

1 part sugar

Butter

For the spicy mustard:

1/2 cup whole-grain mustard

1 tablespoon Korean chili paste

1 teaspoon minced ginger

Preparation

Note: For the tuna, cut the slices approximately 1/4-inch thick, 3-4 inches and an inch wide, measurements don’t need to be exact though.

For the marinate, mix all of the ingredients together. Put tuna in marinade for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauces. For the sweet soy sauce: Heat soy sauce until it begins to boil. Whisk in sugar until all dissolved. Cook for a few minutes, careful not to let overflow. Finish with a spoonful of butter. Cool.

For the spicy mustard, mix all of the ingredients together. (If too spicy or if you desire more heat, adjust the amount of chili paste.)

Place a piece of aluminum foil on edge of the grill where you will rest the ends of the skewers. This will prevent the bamboo skewers from burning.

Skewer fish pieces one per skewer and grill until desired temperature is achieved, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Mix and dress all ingredients for the salad and serve with skewers and dipping sauce.

Serving

Serve on a bed of chiffonade baby spinach, watermelon cubes and black sesame seeds; use a dressing of 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts olive oil.

Koi has many creative dishes available. It can be very difficult to make a decision about what to order. For those on a diet, the Skinny Menu offers a great variety of flavorful low calorie items. One of the excellent items is a chicken lettuce wrap. This wrap is only around 170 calories but does not lack on flavor with its cilantro tofu lime sauce. Another item that is under 200 calories is the Tuna and Tofu Caprese which comes with fresh wasabi and caviar. The steamed Chilean Sea Bass is another fabulous item. It is served with shitake mushrooms and grape tomatoes. You can even order a drink on the Skinny Menu. The Lemon Crisp is a refreshing lemon-cucumber cocktail. Next time you want a night out on the town, but are worried about you diet, Nick Haque‘s Koi will come to the rescue with its healthy yet delicious menu.

When visiting Los Angeles there are many famous sites to see. Some of these locations might include Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood Blvd, and the Santa Monica Pier. A first trip to Los Angeles may seem overwhelming with so many exciting locations to visit, especially if you only have a couple of days in which to see all of these attractions. There might not be enough time to see them all, so making a check list of the ones at the top of your list is a good way to decide which to see.

One thing to keep in mind when planning your trip is traffic. It may seem possible to visit a bunch of different locations in one day, but if the locations are far apart you will quickly find out that traffic adds a couple of hours to your schedule. A good way to relax after a fun filled day of running around Los Angeles is a nice meal. Skip the chain restaurants that you can get at home, and try something a little more special that you can only get in Los Angeles such as Nick Haque’s Koi.

One of the unique things about visiting a new city is the food. Los Angeles has many excellent restaurants that will give you one of a kind experience. With so many delicious restaurants to choose from, it may be hard to know which ones to pick. If you like seafood you have come to the right city. One restaurant that stands out is Koi which offers Japanese and California fusion cuisine with a relaxing zen atmosphere. Nick Haque opened this restaurant in 2002, and it has been a success ever since. The restaurant is located on La Cienega in West Hollywood close to many other attractions that you may want to see. Many visitors to Los Angeles hope to see a celebrity while there. Koi is known for its A-list clientele, so you may even spot your favorite movie star there!

There may be many combined restaurants and lounges out there, but to seamlessly combine the two is no easy task. Nick Hawk’s Koi restaurant is an example of a lounge and restaurant combination that appeals to diners and loungers alike. Both can enjoy or ignore the other.

Catering to a crowd that wants to be in the thick of things may be the key to the success. If someone wants to dine, they can easily feel comfortable in their surroundings. If they want to quickly be a part of something going on in the lounge they can just as easily be a part of that.

The opportunity for diners to be able feel like they can be a part of the liveliness when they desire is the main appeal of Nick Hawk’s Koi restaurant. People who want to be a part of the action will go to the lounge. People who want to dine will stay in their comfortable booths. Most importantly however, people who want to both dine and lounge can be a part of both simultaneously.

Expansion is likely the main goal for restaurant investors. To try and make something that is applicable to many regions should be a goal if you set your sights on expansion. Nick Haque’s Koi restaurant is something you can reference when trying to understand what it takes to make a restaurant that can be loved my many global regions.

You should strive to create a restaurant that has a universal theme. Whatever theme you pick, it should be comfortable and classy. Nick Haque’s Koi restaurant is probably so successful in any region it opens up in because of its universal appeal. Comfortable, chic, welcoming, and delicious, is what people look for in a restaurant. Try to keep this in mind before you spend too much time and effort trying to apply a mid-western theme to a New York City location.

Nick Haque’s Koirestaurant will show you insight into how a restaurant can be successful because of the care that’s put into it. The proprietor had a clear image of what he wanted, and was able to convey that to the designers. If designers are given free reign, then the chances that focus will be lost is increased.

Creating a restaurant with an overall goal in mind will help everyone. If you want the restaurant to have a theme, make sure you stick to it throughout the design process. The fact is that customers appreciate a clear vision. They want to be able to be a part of it in a certain way. When you design a restaurant with a clear image of what you want, there is less of a chance that the product will be the diluted dream of a few designers.

The restaurant we use as an example is Nick Haque’s Koirestaurant. The owner made sure he was a main visionary for the restaurant. His hands on approach is what led to his success and the way the public views his restaurant.